A Cursed Dream
by NothingxRemains
Summary: College / Child AU. Kaname and Takuma decide it's time to try out the college experience. Zero's been busy learning how to be a single parent the past four years. Now that she's starting school, maybe it's time to finish his education and continue pursuing his dream as a master chef. (Slow build. Kinda.)
1. Coffee?

**Okay, so a few things first. I know Zero purple/amethyst eyes. He has blue eyes in this universe. I haven't decided the reason yet. He's also human, as is everybody else except Kaname and Yuuki, who are 'normal' vampires. Vampires are less common as are hunters, which Cross and Yagari are not. The first two chapters are mostly groundwork to progress the rest of the story sensibly. I'm not the greatest at pacing. I'm actually surprised the chapter came out in Kaname's POV, since Zero's actually my favorite character.**

 **I said slow build but in this case it only applies to... uh, certain aspects of their relationship. Also, the title doesn't actually have anything to do with Zero being awesome in the kitchen. Check my profile for more info.**

 **I should also mention that I haven't actually been to college so if the logistics are off in a certain area then feel free to correct me. The classrooms are like the ones in VK, only rounder. Reviews and criticism are welcome; enjoy.  
**

* * *

 _Ugh, does she ever close those windows?_

Classes had started almost two weeks ago. It was only the fourth day he'd sat in this particular room squinting at his lit teacher, trying not to let his crankiness from lack of sleep and exposure to sunlight seep into his behaviour; so far it was a losing battle. He hadn't been able to sleep after he got off work the night before, his body too used to resting during the day.

Kaname slouched wearily against the desk, stifling a yawn behind his hand, glaring sideways at the sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the classroom. He was sitting closer to the right side of the room, a corner of the long table bathed in its glow a few inches from him. He'd narrowly avoided it, though the person directly to his left was not so lucky. Any doubts he might have had about not being a morning person had been thoroughly squashed, being that it was ten a.m. on a Thursday morning and he was so tired his eyelids felt like they were trying to stick together every time he blinked.

 _Only a hundred more days to go_ … he thought wryly, trying to focus on what the professor was going on about. He was only taking three classes, two of which he'd managed to get the night schedules for. However there had been no available night classes for literature, a prerequisite for his major of choice, so he'd reluctantly gone with the next available class. Takuma had half convinced him that a change of pace would be good for him; He was very much regretting listening to his best friend.

After a few minutes of trying to follow the lecture, he deemed it unimportant and continued muttering to himself about infernal education systems, unaware that he was voicing parts of his thoughts aloud.

Kaname's thoughts were suddenly jarred to a halt as a sweet aroma wafted over him, a quiet voice sounding to his left.

"Coffee?"

The brunette blinked, realizing he was completely slouched against the desk. Dragging himself back enough to scrutinize the source of the voice. The person in question wasn't looking at him, the silver-haired male to his left not giving any sign that he was anything but focused on the lecture, and for a moment Kaname thought he was hearing things until he looked down. He had a half-empty cup of coffee slid toward him across the table, the lid in his other hand. _What.. oh._ Kaname determined that he appeared to be offering him the rest of his caffeinated beverage. He couldn't be sure of the student's name as he'd been half asleep when he'd showed up to class each day so far. Eying the proffered the pale drink a moment, he graciously accepted it, uttering an appreciative sound as he gulped the drink down in large mouthfuls. The name had come to him by the time he'd set the empty cup down.

Noticing that the corner of the man's mouth was curved slightly into a smirk, he suppressed the urge to glare at the cup. "Thank you… Kiryu-san," he said quietly.

He gave a curt nod. "Zero is fine," he responded.

Kaname let his eyes drift over to his classmate, taking in the simple white v-neck, slim-fitting light blue jeans and the gray running shoes. "...Zero-kun, then." Bringing his eyes back up, he lingered on the thin leather cord encircling his pale neck, a round metal locket resting between his collarbones. After a few seconds he noticed Zero was hiding his mouth behind his hands, crystal blue eyes twinkling with mirth as he met his gaze. Kaname felt his cheeks warm as he realized that not only was he staring, he'd been caught in the act by the object of his scrutiny.

 _Guess the coffee did it's job_ , he thought in embarrassment. Tucking a wayward lock of hair behind his ear, Kaname turned forward again to look down at the professor and doing his level best to tuning back in to the topic of discussion.

* * *

 _Finally_ , he thought, as the students started filing out at the back of the room four hours later. Closing his notebook and sliding his pencil into the metal spiral, Kaname stood leisurely. He had been half hoping to talk to Zero after class, but when he'd looked up the male was already halfway to the door before anyone else had even stood. Deciding not to pay it too much attention, and firmly reminding himself that he was _not_ disappointed that he hadn't gotten a chance to invite him to the library, Kaname shrugged to himself and waited until the room was mostly empty to make his exit, taking his notebook as well as the cup and lid with him to dispose of on the way out.

Wandering out of the school building, the pale brunette turned and headed for the library absently like it was an old habit. Takuma got out an hour later then he did, so he took advantage of the time to get started on his assignments. This was only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Takuma's class on both days as well as the one in between. It was their only class that overlapped, so they'd decided to work in the library for a while before leaving to go back to their shared apartment for lunch, wherein the blond would drop him off at work before driving back to the campus for his next class.

Having been orphaned at a young age, his foster parent had given him hell over his nocturnal sleeping habits. He'd been in the system for less than a month before he'd been adopted by his friend's grandfather, a man by the name of Asato Ichijou who had been in close contact with his parents prior to their murder. Kaname had never liked him, and he did even less when he'd opted to adopt only him, separating him from his younger sister. He hadn't had much chance to contact her until he turned eighteen, in which his attempts became frequent but mostly unsuccessful. Eventually she'd stated gently but clearly that she did not wish to be reminded of the past. The message had been devastatingly clear: she didn't want him in her life.

His inverted sleep schedule wasn't the only issue, however. Aside from normal food, Kaname had another hunger that he could not ignore; a thirst for blood. Having been so young, his parents had personally provided him with it, usually once a week, understanding that it was not just his secret, but theirs as well. They were family of vampires. Even as young as she was, Yuuki knew it was not a secret she could freely disclose. It had been about a month after he'd started living in his new home that he'd 'fallen ill' and not left his room for a couple days. Takuma, concerned over his new friend, had sneaked into the room to find a starving Kaname in a cold sweat and curled up in the corner, eyes blazing and fangs elongated dangerously between his panting lips.

Ecstatic that this knowledge did not make the other boy afraid of him, he'd clung to him ever since, appeased that it was not something they were afraid to talk about. Even though he was only twenty-six, Takuma was the only person to know of his secret besides his sister, and they'd deduced that it gave him heightened senses and uncanny strength(despite his lack of exercise). From that feeding eighteen years ago the blond whom he'd come to consider a brother to him was the only one he drank from, taking care to only feed a max of two times a month. It had only been in recent years that he discovered his thirst had become easier to deny(as well as the revelation that he could not get drunk). No longer suffering the need of a growing boy, Kaname had grown into the body of an adult, only drinking when Takuma persisted out of concern for his health.

They'd both moved out of their guardian's home under the guise of college experience; they didn't actually apply for college right away, deciding it was time to have fun and spent the years travelling instead. Eventually deciding that college was the next adventure, they'd mapped out their interests and carefully picked a college that suited both of them. Digging into what funds they had left from both their parents, they rented an apartment and bought furniture as well as a vehicle and textbooks. Paying for college had been a scary thing, but they'd managed.

They didn't have much after that(thanks to their travelling and Asato's greedy ways), So they both got jobs, Takuma as a waiter at a restaurant and Kaname as at a little bookstore nearby. It wasn't the best pay, but it was a compromise of interest, salary, and location to their apartment. Kaname only worked evenings during the week; there was only two other employees to work daytime and weekends. The owner was a young playboy who only had it because it use to belong to his mom and it made good profit. He'd been thoroughly charmed by Kaname's looks and Takuma's sunny disposition, and the latter managed to talk him into hiring him while he'd been distracted by the brunette in question.

The restaurant Takuma served at was within walking distance, a lively place with a welcoming atmosphere and a specialty in desserts. The owner was a ditsy but friendly middle aged man who came in anywhere from once a week to once a month, with two chefs and four servers each shift, plus a bartender who served more caffeinated beverages then alcohol. Takuma had the night shift due to his daytime classes, and it was hell for both of them squeezing in sleep certain days of the week.

Kaname didn't realize he'd been drifting off until he was being shaken awake. The brunette jerked slightly, wide eyes darting around until they found Takuma's face, a merry twinkle in his eyes and mouth pulled into a grin. "Clerical studies that boring huh?" he teased lightly. Kaname blinked owlishly at him before glancing down at his watch.

It was half past three, which means his teacher had kept him late. He narrowed his eyes at his blond friend, mouth twitching into a smirk. "You're late. Teacher keeping you after class already? What'd you do now, Takuma?" He returned easily.

* * *

It was almost eleven by the time he'd managed to drag himself through the door of their apartment on the third floor of the building. It was small, a living room area to the right of the front door, filled with a dark lacquer table separating the wide tv against the wall from the modest loveseat with it's back to the rest of the room. Beige carpet turned to white tiles where the kitchenette resided on the far left, facing the sanded wood table tucked into the corner across from it. Around the corner was the bathroom door, at odds with one of the bedroom doors a few feet down the wall from the table.

Kaname headed for the other bedroom, bypassing the kitchen and walking wearily through the door right next to it. The room was relatively small, leaving little legroom around his small queen size bed. He didn't mind it, most of his belongings were crammed in the doorless closet anyway. Most of his clothes were hung up, his ever growing book collection carefully switched across the top shelf and his shoes lined up beneath on the floor. His socks, undergarments, and accessories were hidden away in the small three drawer dresser that sat between his bed and the closet, leaving a narrow L-shape of space in the left corner of the room next to the door.

The bed springs squeaked in protest as he threw himself on top of it, cheek mashed into the pillow as he lazily fought to kick his shoes off. He had six hours to sleep before he had to get up to get Takuma, and he did not want to waste another minute. Arguing with his jacket for a few seconds, Kaname rolled over to make sure the alarm sitting on his dresser was set before wriggling around halfheartedly to get all the way onto the mattress before letting sleep take him.


	2. You Work Here?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

 **So this is a day later then I was planning, but my computer died on me so I had to go and fish out a laptop from the garage. It doesn't have the best performance, but I managed to crank out the rest of this chapter. I'll try to update once a week but no promises. I don't actually know how long this story will be nor where it will end.**

 **Any and all errors are mine. Feel free to let me know if you catch any. Reviews are welcome. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Daddy, you overslept…."

" 'm sorry…" Zero mumbled, blinking blearily at the ceiling from his position on the floor. A small child crouched next to him, poking him calmly in the ribs, her long silver-white hair hanging down and tickling his cheek.

"It's okay daddy, I can wait. You can cook breakfast tomorrow," she chimed quietly.

A half hour earlier -

Golden eyes stared at him calmly behind a set of lenses, sympathy pooling in their depths.

... _daddy…_

Trees surrounded him, a horrible ache pulsing in the back of his head as he was surrounded by pale creatures clad in white uniforms, the moon shining brightly above.

 _daddy…_

Pain flared through his body, his throat feeling raw as he heaved over a sink, small pills half dissolving as they slid down the drain.

 _daddy, wake up._

Wide brown eyes stared back at him in shock, a familiar pale face illuminated by the moonlight, small frame swaying as blood drew down her skin in sluggish rivulets.

Yuuki…

"Daddy!"

An impatient high-pitched shout shattered the fading image. He groaned into the pillow, breathing deeply as he waited for the unpleasant emotions brought on by the dream to release their grip around his heart. "Yes, darling, what…" he managed.

"Daddy, it's nine… uh… nine-one-five," she said. Zero pried one eye half open to see his child's face lit up from the light of his cell phone on the night stand. Groaning again, he tried to remember why he was so tired despite oversleeping an hour. Vaguely he remembered the clock on his laptop reading 2:43 a.m. He'd been immersed in his work for the online arithmetic course he'd signed up for, and time had slipped away from him. Sighing, Zero rolled off the bed and the cold wood floor rushed to meet his bare skin, grinding against his jutting shoulder blades. _Oh fuck, cold, cold_.

Waiting until the ceiling came into focus, he braced his elbows and dragged himself into a sitting position and leaned against the side of the bed. Holding his arms open, he hummed in satisfaction as a small body clambered between them and clung to his torso. "Nine-fifteen," he mumbled, curling his arms around his daughter's tiny body.

"Right! right, fifteen. It comes after… uh, after.."

"Four-"

"Fourteen! Right, fourteen."

"Start from the beginning," he murmured sleepily into her hair.

" _Zero_ ," she chirped, and he smiled at the laughter dancing in her words, relishing in the sound of her voice. "One, two, three.." she backed away and grabbed his index finger with her little hand, coaxing him forward as she walked out of the circle of his arms, white nightgown swishing around her legs. "Four, five, six," she continued, and he hauled himself to his feet, following her lead. "Seven, eight, nine, ten," she sing songed, leading him out of the bedroom, her small sock-covered feet padding soundlessly against the glossy floors.

By the time she'd reached fifteen again, they were standing in the center of their sunlight kitchen. Hoisting her up into his arms, he asked absently, "And how old's daddy?"

"Twenty-four!"

"Count it," he requested, opening the fridge with his free arm, he pulled out the milk, rifling around the kitchen until two bowls and spoons were set on the round wood table a few feet away as she continued reciting the numbers. _Ten minutes_ , he thought, giving a brief glance at the digital clock on the stove.

"What about Yagari-sensei?" he asked, chuckling as she whined "That's too many numbers! _Daddy_!" her brief pouting was interrupted as he opened the cabinet, gasping before she pointed and made gimme noises, making him clamp his arm around her legs as she teetered forward dangerously. "Oh, that one, that one, pleasepleaseplease," she babbled excitedly, and he rolled his eyes as he shuffled a couple feet until her little hands reached the box of chocolate cereal.

 _Definitely has her mother's sweet tooth_ , he thought wryly as he toted her towards the table, swiping the milk jug off the counter on his way. Dodging a toy on the floor he hadn't noticed on the way in, Zero didn't miss the way she'd narrowed her eyes at the other chair with a bowl sitting in front of it. Not missing the definite _I am_ not _sitting there_ manner in which she tightened her hold on him, he shook his head in amusement before sitting down, letting her scramble around until she was sitting in his lap, beaming happily as he brought the other bowl closer and poured the cereal and milk.

"When are you gonna let me pour my own cereal?" she demanded, big blue eyes looking up at him.

"When you're five," he responded, handing her a spoon. Her next protest was forgotten as she redirected her attention to the spoon, digging into the cereal with enthusiasm and making him smile as he lifted his own bowl to eat above her. She squawked around a mouthful of chocolate pebbles moments later when he set his bowl on top of her head, an incoherent garble that sounded suspiciously like 'daddy' reaching his ears. He looked down at her innocently as she looked back up at him again, pink cheeks full of cereal giving the impression of an angry squirrel.

"Yes dear?" he said innocently, grinning at her before continuing to eat.

Twelve minutes later she was bouncing around on his back as he rushed down the stairs of their apartment, two voices ringing out "Morning Kaito," as they passed the chef in the kitchen on their way out the back door. A 2009 black camaro sat alone in the staff parking lot, chirping to life as Zero unlocked it. Sliding into the front seat, Angel scrambled over the middle console and into her carseat behind the passenger seat and pulling the seatbelt across herself.

"You got it?" Zero asked, once the car was turned on and he was strapped in himself. Looking at her, he was met with an energetic headbob, checking to make sure she was strapped in properly. Letting his eyes linger over her outfit, a side ponytail with a little pink bow attached to the hair tie, the light purple t-shirt with a rainbow carebear logo emblazoned on the front, white jeans with a faded green stain at the left knee, pink and black socks peaking out above the white Winnie the Pooh light up velcro sneakers. Checking to make sure she had her necklace on, the twin to his own, he nodded in approval before giving her an encouraging smile. "Good girl. Maybe we can convince Yagari-sensei to take you to go get ice cream later," he offered, earning another ecstatic chime as he pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

Fve minutes after returning he was standing under the hot water streaming from the shower head, staring at the water sluicing down the drain of the tub, his mind elsewhere. Rest had not been coming easy these last few weeks, and he couldn't decide if it was dreams or nightmares that plagued his sleep. Last night hadn't been the first night he'd had such dreams; far from it, in fact.

It had been subtle at first, quick flashes that left him disoriented in the middle of the night. Faces he didn't recognize, feelings he didn't understand, occurring maybe once a week, infrequent enough that he thought little of them.

Then they grew longer, and the more familiar they got the more confusing they became.

He didn't understand why Yuuki was in them, the mother of his child but not as he had known her. She was younger, her face round and her hair short, a face that looked so much like Angel's it made his chest ache. It had been less than a year ago that he'd managed to move on from her, convince himself that he understood why she'd left and that he didn't hate her for it. It was hard, but Angel had become his new light in the dark and he had no qualms about grabbing on with both hands. He still missed her, missed the time their time together and life they'd started. He thought he had closed the hole that she'd left behind, but the dreams he had two or three nights a week that made him reluctant to sleep said otherwise.

He didn't understand why Cross was there either, a close family friend that had taken over his parent's restaurant for him after they died. It was thanks to him that Zero didn't have to divide his time between his daughter and working for the money to take care of her properly. He at least wasn't much different, a doting airhead, prancing around this way and that in a office swamped with paperwork rather than their living room where he often brought Angel new toys or dresses and things of the like.

But then there was the one that never quite left him whether he was awake or asleep. A woman he had never seen but was somehow so familiar, with long flowing hair and malevolent cherry blossom eyes, peering at him from the snowy darkness as though calling out to him. He felt cold, a bitter hatred bubbling in him every time he stared into her face. Suddenly a searing pain would tear through him, burning through his veins as icy fingers gripped him. Then he would be face down on the floor, the smell of blood overwhelming, suffocating him, before pain grasped him and dragged him into the darkness.

Not that he knew what to do about it. He hadn't told anyone, repeatedly telling himself that they would go away eventually.

* * *

Zero milled about absently, the new college schedule already an ingrained routine as he got lost in his thoughts. Before he knew it he was walking through the classroom door, ten minutes early with a gray hair tie rolling between his fingers. He paused mid stride between a row of table, the sole occupant to his right glancing at him uncertainly. As if shaking himself back to attention, Zero offered the girl a smile, continuing until he reached the row second from the back, taking his seat closest to the windows on the right.

Settling on the plastic stool, Zero pulled out his phone to check the time and make sure there was no messages or missed calls, eyes softening as he lingered on the background image. It was of him and Angel a couple months back, her in a little pink piglet swimsuit and sitting atop his shoulders. He was peaking out from beneath the red bucket she had dumped on his head, which had been full of seawater moments before the picture was taken. Yagari was behind the camera and had dutifully sent him all the pictures the following day. He grimaced, remembering how long it had taken to clean all the sand out of everything, especially her hair.

Zero looked up as noise filtered in around him. Noticing that more students were filing in at a steady pace, he put his phone away and pulled his hair back in a small ponytail. _I need to get a haircut,_ he thought, before clearing his mind as the instructor walked in.

* * *

Four hours later Zero was cleaning up his work station, wiping off sweat against his leave as he finished up the dishes. The first course was mostly honing different preparation techniques, so he had to concentrate to be quick and efficient without slicing his fingers off. He wasn't an amateur when it came to cooking, but he'd never really given much thought about different ways to cut a vegetable, or if it mattered what kind of knife he used.

Drying off his hands, Zero removed his apron and made sure everything was put away before heading for the door. Thanks to Yagari offering to pick Angel up from preschool on certain days of the week, he had leeway time after class to get homework done in the library before heading home where they were waiting for him.

Zero found his thoughts lingering over dark wavy tresses and deep burgundy irises when his phone started vibrating furiously. Fishing it out of a pocket, a picture of Angel running away from Yagari with his cigarettes showed on the display screen.

Answering it, "Hello?"

" _Daddy daddy_!" Angel's ecstatic voice came in loud and clear over the receiver. Zero winced and turned the volume down a bit.

"Hello dear. Where's Yagari-sensei?"

" _I'm here_ ," he heard his old teacher's voice, somewhat more farway. " _Sneaky kid you got there_ ," he commented, the child in question giggling.

" _Daddy, I need uh.. What was it, sensei?_ "

" _A backpack. She's only four! This is way too much homework for a toddler._ " Zero grinned as the older man grouched.

" _I am not a toddler!"_

" _You don't even know what that is."_

" _Do too."_

" _What is it then?"_

" _Uh…"_

" _S'what I thought."_

There was a few moments of silence. He could imagine their faces, Angel pouting at Yagari while he fiddled with an unlit cigarette. Zero bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

After taking a second to reign in his mirth, he spoke again. "Angel?"

" _Oh! Daddy, can we go get more books?_ "

"Books? You don't even know your alphabet yet."

" _I know I know but we only have three and you've read them all to me like ten times!_ "

Zero chuckled. "I thought you wanted ice cream?"

" _Well… yeah, but we can get that after right? Right daddy?_ "

Shaking his head, Zero started towards the parking lot. _Only four and already a professional wheedler,_ he thought in amusement. "Yes dear. Where are you guys at?"

There was a moment of clicking and a suspicious crackling sound before Yagari's voice filtered through clearly. "We're at the park across the street from the preschool. What's the plan, kid?"

Zero was silent for a moment. "Give me twenty minutes, I'll be there."

An hour later Zero and Angel emerged from the shopping center, heading back towards the car. She had one hand wrapped around his and the other clinging happily to her new Monsters High backpack. There had been no talking her out of it once she saw the skulls decked with pink bows, the matching lunch pack in the bag in his other hand. Zero opened the backseat door and let her clamber in, handing her the shopping bag before closing it behind her before going around to the front.

"So, ice cream?" he prompted, starting the car up.

"Yes! Wait no! Books! Then ice cream," she said, nodding and sticking her tongue out at him when he grinned.

"Just checkin'."

* * *

 _Earlier…_

A sleek black cell phone rattled noisily on the wood dresser, a quiet piano intro sounding before drums and an electric guitar broke out in earnest. A mop of dark chestnut hair rose halfway off the sheets, long pale arm flopping out blindly to silence the noise. Any other time of the day he rather enjoyed humming to the tune; now it seemed like the devil's theme song as it grated on his eardrums. _Why did I pick that damn ringtone_? he thought grouchily, not bothering to look at the caller ID before answering.

" 'llo?" he slurred, barely awake.

"Kuran-san! Oh thank-hey listen I need you to come in early. I'm going out of town for the weekend and I have to catch the train in like thirty minutes."

Kaname's confused brain took a minute to put a face to the voice. "Hello?" It demanded, and he realized who was on the other end as the words finally registered. Pulling the phone away to squint at the screen, he suddenly felt aggravated as he spotted the tiny numbers in the top corner. It wasn't even three p.m. yet! "No," he grunted, getting an impatient sound in response. "Should've told me earlier if you needed me to cover you," he continued.

"I was going to have Touya-san cover me but she said she had a change of plans and couldn't do it."

"How unfortunate," he said dryly.

She grunted in exasperation. "Look, if you come in early I'll cover your shift Monday, alright?" she persisted.

"Monday _and_ Tuesday," he corrected without really thinking about it, mostly because he was grouchy and tired and feeling slightly vindictive for both those reasons.

"Oh for the love of-Okay, fine. Fine, Monday and Tuesday. Get here as quick as you can."

"Of course; enjoy your weekend, Ruka-san," he said serenely, chuckling at the answering _click_ as she hung up. Sighing, Kaname let the phone drop on the sheets, running his fingers through his tangled hair. He resolutely ignored the flash of silver in his mind's eye as he hauled himself out of bed.

Stretching leisurely, the brunette frowned down sleepily as he noticed his state of undress. He recalled coming home from work the day before and had barely gotten his shoes and coat off before passing out fully clothed. He'd gotten up later to pick Takuma up from work, where they had both sat half asleep over breakfast before heading back to the apartment. He had decided that a shower was in order, but apparently hadn't bothered to put clothes back on upon returning to his room.

So currently, Kaname stood stark naked in the dim light of his bedroom save for his wristwatch. He felt his cheeks warm at the idea of Takuma peaking into the room and discovering this. _No wait, he wouldn't have seen anything anyway, I was under the covers._ Vaguely remembering that he hadn't actually streaked across the apartment butt naked, he peered around until he spotted the towel hanging halfway off the bed. _Wait, why am I worried? Nothing he hasn't seen before_. Shrugging to himself, Kaname drifted a couple feet to his closet. Rifling through the shirts haphazardly, he decided on a black round-collared shirt Takuma had talked him into buying a couple weeks prior. Usually he wore button-down shirts, but considering he still wasn't fully awake the prospect of arguing with the buttons was not a favorable one.

Kaname realized about halfway into the shirt that he _should_ probably hurry if his coworker didn't want to miss her train. She was so high-strung every time they spoke, he didn't know if she was stressed or if being uppity was a norm for her, but he'd decided he didn't want to make her life any harder. Struggling into a fresh set of boxer briefs, he snagged a random pair of pants hanging up, cursing as the hanger snapped under his unrestrained effort to free the jeans. He stumbled into the faded pair, cursing again as he caught his toes in the kneehole, feeling his eyebrow twitch in irritation as he heard a couple stitches snap. _Right, now I remember why I never hurry_ , he mused, practically hopping over to the door.

Kaname slipped on his black sneakers-thankfully without incident-before swiping the keys off the kitchen counter and flouncing out the front door.

He arrived in a record time of ten minutes, in which his coworker barely waited for him to get to the door before tossing the keys at him and scurrying across the small parking lot. Kaname didn't waste any time in escaping the glare of the sun bearing down on him. Entering the bookstore and ignoring the seemingly loud jingle above his head, he slid in easily behind the light wooden counter to the creaky barstool behind it, just to the left of the register. Tucking a few loose strands behind his ear, the brunette slipped out the thick paperback resting underneath the counter, _Bloody Bones_ printed on the front under the depiction of a rusted kitchen knife. Opening it at his place marker, Kaname presumed to ignore his surroundings.

The distraction only worked for about an hour. His body protested to staying still so long, particularly his neck. Sighing, Kaname replaced the bookmark and set the novel down, rotating his shoulders and neck to relieve the tension that had built there.

What else could he do? Kaname thought for a minute before deciding that there were probably plenty of books out of place from browsing customers that Ruka more than likely hadn't bothered with.

Although he was apprehensive to leave the front counter unattended. Not many people came in considering it was the end of the week, and the bell above the door would alert him to any customers entering the store. After a moment of debating with himself he decided it was alright, and wandered towards the back of the store to begin in the sci-fi section. _Who knows, maybe I'll find something new to read_ , he thought, the he doubted anything new would jump out at him.

The brunette had only made it halfway through the first section when he heard the bell chiming quietly. Finishing his scan of the shelf he was on, Kaname made a mental note of where to pick up again before circling around to the front.

He paused a step in front of the last bookcase before the counter, spying a little girl with peculiar silver-white hair picking through books on a lower shelf. Kaname glanced around briefly, wondering if the little girl had come in with an adult. _She's awfully young to be wandering around by herself, isn't she?_ He mused, approaching the child.

"Can I help you, little one?" Kaname asked, giving the cute child a friendly smile. It froze on his face as she turned to look at him, her little mouth dropping open. For half a second he was afraid she'd run off screaming 'stranger danger', and he'd have to find out the hard way if she had a guardian. It was a short lived possibility as a few seconds ticked by and she had yet to make a sound. The brunette found something strangely familiar in the smooth contours of her rounded face, but the thought barely registered as she continued to stare at him with wide eyes.

As the silence stretched on he began to feel self conscious under her open-mouthed scrutiny, berating himself for faltering under the gaze of a child even as his eyes darted away from hers. What could she possibly be staring at him for? He didn't think he had anything on his face, or that he had any outlandish features to gawk at. Not like her, at any rate. His smile faded slowly, and he crossed his arms loosely in front of himself without really noticing, tilting his head to let a curtain of hair shield his face, as if to hide from her searching gaze.

"You're pretty," she said suddenly, eyes still locked on him in awe. Kaname flushed immediately in surprise, eyes snapping back to hers, not entirely sure he had heard her right. He blinked at her silently, her stare still unwavering.

"Angel, where did you...oh, Kuran-san," The sound of a familiar voice broke the silence that had fallen over them, and Zero was met with two pairs of eyes as he came around the corner of the bookshelf.

"Zero-kun," Kaname acknowledged. "Good eveni-er, afternoon," he greeted, surprise filling his previously blank mind. The other male smiled at him in turn.

"You know my daddy?" The little girl's voice brought their attention back down, Kaname's eyebrows raising as his gaze flicked back and forth between the two. Now the resemblance was obvious, as they had the same coloring if not facial features, and he wondered why the fact hadn't come to him sooner.

"We have school together," Zero responded, and the brunette's eyes widened marginally as the rest of his brain picked up the rest of the conversation. _Wait, he's a parent? But he's so young! Unless he isn't, maybe he just looks young. Maybe he's like thirty or something_ , Kaname pondered quietly, though doubtfully. Briefly he wondered where her mother was, before Zero called his name again and drew his attention back into focus.

"Kaname is fine," he corrected, unintentionally parroting Zero from the previous morning.

"Kaname, this is Angel, my daughter," he introduced, reaching down and settling the girl on his hip.

"Kana...Kana-chan," she decided happily, much to Zero's amusement. "Kana-chan, do you work here?" She asked, remembering that he had offered to help her.

"I do indeed," he responded, watching surprise flit across Zero's face.

"Really? I've never seen you around here before."

"My best friend and I just moved into town a couple months ago, so I haven't been here long."

"Ah, that explains it," Zero affirmed, nodding. "So when do you get off work?" He asked, Angel scrambling down from his arms and taking off somewhere in the bookstore. Chuckling, Kaname watched her scurry around the corner.

"Not until later this evening," he replied, eyes taking in Zero's full appearance as Angel disappeared. The man sported dark jeans that nicely suited his figure, a black silver-studded belt peeking out beneath the hem of his thin cotton shirt that hung loosely on his frame, the lavender color complementing his lighter complexion. He eyed the man's metal piercings appreciatively, not missing the fact that they matched his belt and gave his respectable prestige a rebellious edge. Kaname tried not to be too obvious about it, though he wasn't sure if he was succeeding or not, considering the other male appeared just as distracted.

Zero hadn't paid much attention to the rest of the others' attire until Kaname did; now it was hard to take his eyes off. The faded skinny jeans were practically glued to the brunette, the stylized rips at his knees and going up his thighs giving glimpses of the creamy flesh underneath. His shirt was no better, the design of the garment showing off his tapered waist and slim hips, half-sleeves emphasizing the fair skin of his long arms, wide collar framing his delicate collarbones. By the time he reached he reached the dark mahogany curls framing his face-which he didn't fail to notice the disheveled state of said curls or the faint shadows under dark burgundy eyes-Zero didn't realize he'd been staring until his gaze landed on pale pink lips, which were currently uplifted at the corners in a knowing smirk. He felt his face burn in mortification, eyes darting up to the brunette's before skittering away.

Kaname was somewhat amused that Zero had more or less reacted to his appearance the same way his daughter had. His smile was a practiced one, and he kept his own face from warming by pure force of will; though he'd be lying if he said it didn't stoke his ego.

"So," he started, pulling Zero out of whatever thoughts he'd run off with. "Can I offer any assistance?"

Zero stared at him in confusion for a minute. Then he remembered that they were, in fact, in a bookstore, nevermind the fact that Kaname appeared to be the only employee here. "Ah, maybe. Actually it was Angel's idea to come here. Said she needed some new bedtime stories," he answered, a small smile playing at on his lips as he shook his head. "Apparently the ones we have now are… getting old," he added, earning a quiet chuckle from Kaname.

"I don't know how she plans on picking anything out though," he continued, shaking his head.

Kaname's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"She can't read yet, she's only four."

"Ah." Kaname's face cleared in understanding. "Well then, perhaps we should go help her," he offered.

At Zero's affirming nod, both males trailed after where they saw her last saw her run off. Zero looked around, unable to spot her, but Kaname simply continued forward, following the rapid sound of her fluttering heart beat. Falling into step behind him curiously, Zero followed him to the historical section. They found Angel at the far end of the bookshelf, frowning at a large book in her hands, a small selection of books at her feet.

"Angel," Zero called in a stern tone. Her head jerked up in surprise, dropping the book in her hands on top of the waiting pile.

"Daddy!"

Kaname leaned against the corner of the wooden bookshelf, inhaling deeply as Zero passed by him. He had to close his eyes for a moment, feeling a familiar ache in his jaw as the man's sweet fragrance swirled around him. He barely caught the exchange between the two in front of him.

"Angel, what are you doing? You can't just leave things on the floor like that," Zero scolded.

"Oh, sorry, I'll pick them up…" she said, her energetic behavior dimming.

"No that's alright," Kaname chimed in. "I'll handle them, don't worry about it."

Angel beamed brightly at him before turning back to her father. "Daddy, why do all these books have old guys on the front?" she asked, her lower lip jutting out in a pout as the two men laughed quietly. "What?" she demanded.

"That's because this is the history section, Angel," Zero answered her. She frowned again.

"What's that?"

"Things that happened in the past."

She thought about this for a minute, then her expression brightened. "Oh! You mean like when we went to the beach with ojisan?" she asked.

"Kind of," he responded. "Only these things happened a long time ago. Before you or I were born," he corrected. Her eyes widened.

"Before...what about sensei?"

"Probably. Well...maybe," he said, grinning as she giggled.

Zero looked up to address Kaname, pausing as he noticed the man had disappeared. "Kaname?" he called uncertainly, venturing back towards the way they came. As he rounded the corner he was suddenly staring into wide chocolate eyes, the edges of hard-covered books digging lightly into his sternum. He backpedaled after a moment of stunned silence, thankful that the books Kaname was carrying had probably been the only reason they hadn't barrelled right into each other.

"Ah, sorry. I was just getting some books I thought would be more suited to your interests," Kaname explained, glancing at the child still standing next to the pile on the floor. She abandoned said pile in favor of investigating the colorful selection Kaname was holding.

"Ooh, I wanna see," she said eagerly, eyes gleaming.

Kaname chuckled. "Why don't we go up to the front counter so you can sit down while you read?" he responded, leading them back to the front. Setting the books down on the aged surface, Kaname hoisted Angel up onto the wooden stool he'd previously been occupying, sliding the fictional easy-reads over to her.

"I picked some lower grammar level texts, in case you wanted to try using them to help her learn," he said quietly, looking at Zero, who nodded.

"Understandable," he agreed.

"What's this?" Angel asked, pulling out _Bloody Bones_ and flipping it open to Kaname's marker, which now wasn't far from the end.

"Nothing," he responded immediately, earning a raised eyebrow from Zero and he studiously ignored the heat creeping into his cheeks. He was silently thankful that this particular book of the twenty piece series was one of the less innocuous looking covers. "Just something I was reading earlier. Definitely not a kid's book," he elaborated, holding his hand open until she gave it to him. She shrugged, apparently not finding this information as fascinating as the handpicked stack waiting in front of her.

"I wonder why," he heard Zero say, moments before the book disappeared from his hands again. His fingers twitched as he resisted the childish impulse to snatch it back. He was an adult damnit, he did not have to be embarrassed by his reading preferences. Though he was starting to think otherwise, because after about ten seconds of scanning the page he was slamming the book shut and shoving it back at Kaname, a suspicious pink coloring his face.

"Well," he cleared his throat, "Alright then." Kaname smirked.

'It's a fair combination of gore and bedroom scenes, I'll admit. Though it's only the fifth in the series," he continued, grinning as Zero glared at him. After a moment his eyes went wide.

"Wait, fifth? Only the fifth? How many are there?"

"Twenty," he responded, nonplussed.

Blue eyes grew marginally wider before returning to normal, and he nodded. "I see."

A moment of silence lingered between them, and then Kaname felt a light tugging at the hem of his shirt. He looked over at Angel, who had the books in a random assortment in front of him.

For the next ten minutes, Angel grilled him about each book, much to Zero's amusement, as most of them Kaname had never read and actually knew little about.

"What's that?"

"A dragon."

"Is there a prince?"

"Not exactly."

"Is there a castle? And lots of treasure?"

"Err, I'm not sure."

"What about this one?"

Eventually she'd gone through the eight books, and decided that five of them were to her liking. Then it was Kaname's turn to watch as Angel made puppy eyes and pouted and pleaded with her father, who was very close to giving in and buying her all five.

"I have an idea," Kaname interrupted, an idea coming to him. Then he paused uncertainly, looking to Zero for confirmation that he would not get offended with him interfering. Quite the opposite; he gave a reassuring nod, almost relieved that Kaname had stepped in before he lost to his wheedling princess.

"How about he gets you one now, and if you're good he'll bring you back and get you another one?" he said smoothly. Her face lit up, and Zero looked a little surprised, as though wondering why he hadn't thought of it himself. Truth be told, Kaname had just been grappling for an excuse to see them again. Yes, them, he told himself firmly, and believed it. Yes, he would be seeing Zero twice a week in class, but that was one thing; Zero agreeing to meet him of his own volition was quite another.

Soon enough he was ringing up their purchase, handing her the blue book with a dragon on the front and _Eragon_ neatly but largely printed at the bottom. It wasn't the easiest read, but Angel said she'd wanted that one most, so they couldn't really persuade her otherwise.

"So, when does your shift end again?" Zero asked, as Kaname collected the books strewn on the counter.

"Usually I close up at ten, but I have to pick my friend up and take him to work tonight, so I'll be locking up around eight," he said, after a quiet moment of pondering. Usually it was Takuma that dropped him off at work, but because he had left early, he also had to leave early to ensure he wasn't late. Their boss would never know, anyway; its not like he ever came around or had cameras installed.

Zero made an affirmative sound. "Why don't you come hang out with me tonight? You know that little restaurant down the street, with the flower hedge?" he paused long enough for Kaname's nod. "I live in the apartment complex above it, if you want to swing by later."

"I would love to," Kaname assured, not missing the momentary increase of the other's heart beat.

Zero cleared his throat again. "Alright. I'll uh, see you later then," he said smoothly. "Come on, Angel," he coaxed, placing a hand on her head.

"See you later Kana-chan!" she said happily, following her father back out through the sunlit door. Kaname waited until he heard the engine start before collapsing on top of the books, letting out a huge sigh.

Despite having exceptional verbal skills, socializing was not the most relaxing pastime for Kaname. Considering he was mostly awake at night and was usually grouchy when awake during the day, he didn't interact with most people. This was besides the fact that he could detect every scent and sound of each person, practically feel the energy rolling off them. His self-appointed feeding restriction didn't make it any easier at being in crowds for long periods of time. Although he prided himself on restraint more than anything else, he preferred to not have to deal with it in the first place. _Then again, there's exceptions to everything_ , he mused, sitting up. Sliding four of the books under the counter next to his own, Kaname picked up the remaining three. He glanced at his watch before heading towards the back of the store. _Only four hours to go,_ he thought grimly.


End file.
